The primary things giving hunters bad publicity are other hunters, period.
Inside the hunting community each year a handful of hunters do awful stuff and bring everyone down with them.
Nothing brings the antis running in for blood like a hunter glorifying killing, excessively killing, or promoting the art of killing.
Hunting for food, enjoyment of outdoors, conservation activities, respect for the animals, spending time with friends and family all are things which the majority of antis can understand.
What they don't get, is speed metal cranking up when a tv personality kills something. They don't understand is why skulls are present everywhere now (t shirts, stickers, etc). They don't understand, names like "bone collector" which signify it being cool to kill and have no relation to enjoying the experience rather just how much bone and blood can be spilled.
Go look at a Rage ad, gobbler guillotine ad, or a NAP ad and you'll see our fellow hunters giving the antis all kinds of ammo to use against us.
I'm not one to appease anyone, but I understand how the "cool" stuff in the hunting industry is being perceived on the outside